Elon Musk has been called for voluntary testimony in France as part of an investigation concerning the dissemination of sexualized deepfakes involving children and women on the social media platform X, previously known as Twitter. The summons was issued in February, with the investigation having commenced in January 2025.
Details regarding the time and location of Musk’s potential appearance remain undisclosed. Paris prosecutor Laetitia Beckieu confirmed that employees of X have also been summoned to testify between April 20 and April 24.
Beckieu emphasized that the absence of those invited for voluntary testimony would not impede the ongoing investigation. The inquiry was initially focused on the use of X’s algorithms in French political interference, but it expanded in January 2026 to include the proliferation of sexualized deepfakes generated by the AI tool Grok, as well as Holocaust denial statements.
In early February, law enforcement conducted searches at X’s Paris offices, which the company described as politically motivated raids and an abuse of judicial power. Prosecutors invited Musk and former CEO Linda Yaccarino to provide voluntary testimonies as the platform’s key figures during the relevant period. Musk has labeled the actions as a political assault.
This investigation is part of a broader international response to Grok, following revelations that users could create sexualized images of women and children through simple text prompts. The scandal erupted when users found that Grok Imagine could generate numerous sexualized and pornographic images, often using photographs without consent.
Moreover, the chatbot produced images and videos depicting women experiencing violence and sexual abuse, with some users noting that the videos appeared professionally directed. One such video featured a woman with a caption reading ‘do not resuscitate’ and a knife positioned between her legs.
In response to media coverage, Musk stated that users creating illegal content would be held accountable just as those uploading prohibited materials would be. He promised an internal review of xAI, and the company issued an apology, acknowledging shortcomings in its protective systems.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the Grok content as ‘disgusting’ and threatened to ban X in the country if the company failed to manage the situation effectively. The regulator Ofcom is considering imposing fines of up to 10% of the company’s global revenue.
British MP Jess Asato remarked that even the paid option to create such images constitutes a form of digital sexual violence and insisted that xAI should permanently disable this feature.
The French prosecution’s investigation into the spread of sexualized deepfakes aligns with the European Commission’s assertion that such actions may violate the Digital Services Act. In India, the government has mandated X to restrict the generation of ‘vulgar or explicitly sexual content,’ while Malaysia has initiated its own investigation following user complaints.
According to the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), approximately 3 million sexualized images were created within just 11 days, predominantly featuring women, with at least 23,000 likely depicting children.
Elon Musk has been summoned for voluntary testimony in France regarding an investigation into the use of AI-generated sexualized deepfakes on the platform X. The inquiry, which has drawn international attention, includes allegations of political interference and the creation of harmful content involving women and children.
Source: France24